


For Safekeeping

by MyriahKamm



Category: Free!
Genre: Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-11
Updated: 2015-01-11
Packaged: 2018-03-07 01:56:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 547
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3156686
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MyriahKamm/pseuds/MyriahKamm
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Short little fluffy piece about Rin giving Rei a gift before he goes to Australia.</p>
            </blockquote>





	For Safekeeping

**Author's Note:**

> Written for RinRei Week 2!  
> Day 7 Prompt: Eternal

"…Rin-san…"

It’s all Rei says for several minutes, which makes Rin feel a little self-conscious. He’s been holding out his hand for a while now, long enough that the third-year pin resting in his palm—his take on the button tradition, since Samezuka’s uniforms don’t have buttons—is actually beginning to feel heavy. If Rei would do something other that just stare at it dumbly, they might be able to get somewhere.

"Well, say something," Rin mutters, an uneasy laugh escaping him. "Or at least take it. This is getting awkward."

"I just…are you sure you want to give it to me?" the  _megane_  asks softly. “Not to Aiichirou-kun or Momotarou-kun?”

"Neither of them are my boyfriend."

Pink dusts Rei’s cheeks suddenly. Rin can’t believe that Rei is still trying to pretend he’s not a romantic. He definitely loves romance, although perhaps not to the same extent that Rin himself does. He’s obviously just afraid of admitting to it because romance isn’t logical, or something like that.

Shaking his head a bit, Rin takes Rei’s hand and places the pin in it. He closes Rei’s hand around the pin, smiling at him.

"It’s for you, because I love you," he murmurs, leaning close to him. "Besides, I’m going to Australia soon, and I wouldn’t want you to forget about me while I’m gone."

Rei shakes his head, tears collecting in the corners of his eyes. He presses his forehead to Rin’s and looks into his eyes. “I could never forget about you, Rin-san. Never.”

"Then take it, idiot. As a promise that we’ll always be together."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The years come and go relatively quickly. Rin becomes a successful Olympian, winning himself five gold medals and three silver before eventually retiring. After that, he offers his services as a swimming coach. Rei takes up chemistry and works for a company that preserves and restores artwork, happy that he can help preserve the beauty for future generations to enjoy. While they can’t legally marry, they live together their entire lives, through the good and the bad.

Now, many years later, they’re both retired, with a considerable amount of money saved up to live comfortably for the rest of their lives. They spend their time doing hobbies around the house and traveling to visit their friends and family. Today, though, they’re packing up boxes of old mementos and material goods to give to charity, since they don’t have any reason to keep most of them.

"What about this one, Rei?" Rin asks, holding up an ornate glass box in the shape of a butterfly.

"Ah, no, I need to keep that." Rei takes the box from him and opens it, pulling out a small gold pin featuring the Roman numeral III. The megane runs his fingers over it slowly, smiling wistfully, before holding it up. "Do you recognize this?"

"Yeah, I do. That’s my third-year pin from Samezuka Academy." A smile paints Rin’s lips as tears fill his eyes. "You kept it all this time?"

"Of course," Rei replies, leaning toward him to press a chaste kiss to his cheek. "It was a promise that we would always be together, remember?"

"It was, wasn’t it?" Rin cups Rei’s cheeks and kisses him lightly on the lips. "Forever, my love."

"Forever."


End file.
